A few years ago, Cessna, one of the most renowned names in aviation, was selling hundreds of multimillion-dollar airplanes annually. Then the recession hit. According to a recent CNN story, the company lost half of its orders and half of its jobs — 6,000 jobs in Wichita alone.
The story notes that the GA giant re-examined its manufacturing methods on the aircraft production line. They’ve stepped up customer service and they say they’re looking for new ideas, new savings and new efficiencies. The story quotes the company’s Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton:
“Innovate or die. You can’t just hunker down and hide during this period of time. You have to continue doing your best.”
